Love At Second Glance
by KeepCalmLovePeeta
Summary: While Katniss and Peeta are falling in love in the arena, being called the Star-Crossed Lovers of Dirstrict 12, Gale and Madge are also getting close. Will they become the Not-So Star-Crossed Lovers of Distrcit 12?
1. Chapter 1

**Madge:**

A much-too-cheerful Effie Trinket struts across the stage, and I swear she hasn't aged since last year, or the year before. Her pink wig is balanced almost perfectly, her face a ghostly white. It's hard to stifle laughter as she walks up to the microphone. Her heels must be at least six inches tall. To us, Effie looks completely ridiculous. I look over to see my father's forehead wrinkle in disgust. I, being his daughter, know that even the mayor of District 12 hates the Capitol as much as any local citizen.

My eyes spiral around the crowd immediately, searching for Katniss Everdeen. Her reaction to Effie's whole Capitol-inspired look was bound to be priceless. I must have been searching for a while, because when I return to reality; to the reaping, my father is speaking about the history of Panem.

I can't bring myself to look at him tell the tale of the Hunger Games, so I distract myself by studying the faces of my peers. Most of the Seam kids are looking hungry, sad or worried. I frown, thinking again of how lucky I am. When my eyes land on Gale Hawthorne, he is completely emotionless. He stares blankly at the stage, and his little sister Posy hugs his leg. Gale places his hand gently on her back, but never looks away from my father.

My eyes finally find Katniss's. I try getting her attention, which is somewhere way off in the distance, but it doesn't work. Nothing upsets me more than the feeling of being completely alone. I have many friends, sure, but right now, none of them are here to comfort me.

My stomach has been turning for the whole day, and I have thrown up twice. The fear of losing someone I love or getting chosen myself, is too much.

I would die within the first day of the Hunger Games.

I knew a lot of edible berries, and I'm sure I wouldn't have a hard time running from trouble. It was the face-to-face combat that would kill me. I am about as strong as a butterfly with one wing, and I've never been hunting in my life. If anyone came at me, I would be easy prey- which would definitely kill me in the Cornucopia. The thought closes my throat.

I hear my name whispered behind me. "Madge Undersee?" The voice says.

I turn. "Yes?"

A young girl, probably around ten, looks me in the eyes. "You're the mayor's daughter," She says in barely a whisper. "Does your name get entered into the reaping bowl?" I nod.

"Yes, honey, it does. Just like everyone else." I say, as I turn back to the stage angrily. Why do people always think I get some special treatment because my father is Mayor Undersee? Yes, my name is entered. For every year, it's entered another time. Just as everyone else's name is.

My father walks back to his chair mechanically, and Effie approaches the microphone. "Ladies first!" She says gleefully, as she does every year. I take one long breath as she pulls out a slip of paper. She opens it, and a broad smile crossed her face as she reads, "Primrose Everdeen!"

I can almost visualise what happens next before it happens. There's no way Katniss is letting her twelve-year-old sister fight in the Hunger Games. Prim makes her way to the edge of the stage, and I can sense the tension in the crowd. Everyone knew Prim. The sweet little girl that makes everyone laugh. The sweet girl that sold everyone her goat's milk.

"I volunteer!" I hear Katniss screech as she pushes Prim behind her. The two words are the only ones I hear from where I am. My ears pop and I hear nothing of what Effie or the very drunk Haymitch Abernathy say as Katniss takes her place on stage. Just this morning, she and Gale were at my house. Katniss and I were… Friends. Tears spring from my eyes, and suddenly my breaths don't seem to enter my lungs.

"Katniss Everdeen." I hear her present herself. I'm sobbing now, my eyes burning. Things are said, but I can't understand them. Slowly, the crowd raises their three middle fingers of their left hand to their mouths, and stretches their hands out to her. I do the same. It means love, respect or goodbye. I cover my mouth with my other hand, trying desperately to contain myself. Katniss was going into the arena. Moments later, Effie interrupts the silence.

"Now the boys!" She says as she runs across the stage. She pulls out a name, and I manage to stop gasping long enough to hear, "Peeta Mellark." This day is only getting better. Peeta Mellark, the name of the boy I always catch staring at Katniss. From what short conversations I've had with him, he seems like a kind-hearted and nice boy. A very talented artist; I think he decorates the cakes for his family's bakery. I know his mom, too, who seems completely opposite of her son Peeta; a vicious black-hearted beast.

Peeta makes his way through the crowd, his jaw dropped to the ground. He steps onto the stage and blankly looks up at the crowd. Two of my friends were going into the arena.

**Gale: **

I went to visit Katniss before she left for the Capitol. I watched her on T.V at the chariots presentation, even her interviews with Caesar Flickerman. _'The girl on fire'_, they're calling her. I watched Peeta Mellark as well, who basically confessed his love for her in those interviews.

As I watched him speak the words, anger rushed through me. Not at him, at her. For no particular reason, I felt like Katniss Everdeen was abandoning me, even though it was Peeta speaking. It didn't make sense, but it was how I felt at the time. When I saw her face, blushing and desperately naïve, I wanted to kill her.

I had always seen Peeta glancing our way around town for years, but I'd taken for granted that she was mine. I never thought that wimpy blond baker would express himself. I thought I had all the time in the world to tell her how I'd always felt. Yet somehow, this Peeta Mellark boy had beaten me to it.

This morning, I drag myself out of bed and go immediately to the woods. In a few hours, I would be in town, watching the huge T.V screen with all the other citizens of District 12. Today is the day the Games begin.

I shoot a few squirrels in hope of the least bit of happiness, but it's just no use. My head turns back to that interview. To them holding hands proudly on the chariots. To Katniss's stupid girly love-struck reaction as Peeta spoke…

A gong sounds, and I know it's time to gather around the huge television. My insides burn as I make my way to town with a few dead squirrels in my hand. I walk past my house and toss them behind my shed.

When I finally reach the huge crowd, I hear the booming voice of Claudius Templesmith announce, "Let the seventy-fourth annual Hunger Games begin!" I shake my head in disgust, as my little sister Posy shows up behind me.

"You know, she's got a chance." She says. I don't look down at her. It will only make me sadder. I see all twenty-four tributes rise to the arena level, and I study their surroundings. The Cornucopia is out in the open. A field. The smart thing Katniss can do is run straight for the woods. Away from the blood bath. But I know her too well. She'll try to sprint for a weapon and probably get killed.

The cameras land on Peeta, who is looking stronger than I would expect. He is looking directly into the trees; his almost transparent eyebrows pulled intensely together, probably choosing the smart route for him. Then the whole screen fills with a very confused-looking Katniss Everdeen. The cameras back up and show the audience exactly what she's looking to. A small orange pack._ No Katniss,_ I think. _No._ Going for that pack will surely get her killed. _Do the smart thing._ Her eyes shift from the woods to the pack. Her breathing seems to become bigger and shorter as the clock ticks. Ten, nine, eight, seven…

The cameras shift back to Peeta Mellark, whose eyes are glued to the debating Katniss. He shakes his head when he realizes what she's thinking. _Good. Keep shaking until she realizes. _He keeps it up. Three. Katniss glances over at him questioningly. Two. She breathes in and starts to take position. Peeta shakes his head a few more short times, and I can tell Katniss realizes. One.

The gong sounds and Katniss takes off after hesitating a quarter of a second.


	2. Chapter 2

**Madge: **

I watch Katniss and Peeta run from their starting point. Peeta sprints out to the woods, dodging a spear as he does. He looks over his shoulder many times at Katniss, who is now running with a pack held up to her head, protecting her from the knives being shot at her. Katniss's face is filled with fresh blood, but I doubt it's hers.

That's why they call it the 'blood bath' after all.

I watch silently and anxiously as Peeta makes it into the woods as soon as he sees Katniss enter the trees safely. _The Star-Crossed Lovers of District 12, _that's what the Capitol people have nicknamed their tragic romance.

The whole thing is more than believable. I mean, I believe it, and I've been friends with them both for a long while.

The cameras return to the Cornucopia, where people are being either stabbed or whacked to death. Bodies already lay motionless on the bloody ground. I turn away from the screen, feeling like I'm going to vomit. I put my head between my knees and take deep breaths. I whisper words to myself.

"They've made it this far," I say quietly, the sound muffled by screams of pain. "They can do this. They can." Only I know 'they' can't. Only one of them can, and chances of that are very slim. I look up to see Gale Hawthorne, who looks the same as he does every other day. Stiff and angry. Hateful and unforgiving. I stand up again and he looks me in the eye.

I know he hates me. The day of the reaping, he'd implied that I was a rich snot. Well, that's what I made of it. It's got nothing to do with me, my father being mayor. And honestly, I'm not too fond of him either. He never takes his eyes off me, and suddenly I'm angry. "What?" I say. "I'm her friend too, Gale."

"Sure Madge." I want to shove him to the ground, but that would embarrass my father greatly. I clench my jaw and prepare myself for the speech I'm about to give. He pulls his eyebrows together and looks back up to the screen. I turn with him to see Katniss running deep into the woods. The cameras shift, and I see Peeta running, surrounded completely by green. He's incredibly fast, and every so often he would jump over a bush or vine. He seems to have very little trouble plowing through the forest.

In a nearby bush, the boy tribute from District 1 is hiding. A Career tribute. I feel like yelling or warning him, but I know it will do nothing but make me look insane. _Peeta is going to die, _I think pressing my hands against my mouth, stifling sobs.

The boy emerges from the bush. "Mellark, right?" He says calmly. For a moment, I wonder what is going on. Then, I realise why he's so comfortable. Peeta stops in his tracks and looks around panicked. The Career throws his sword a few feet to his left, which calms Peeta the least bit.

"Peeta. Peeta Mellark." He says confused.

"Well, Lover Boy," The Career speaks softly. "Wanna join us?" Three other tributes appear behind the boy. Two girls and one boy. All of them Careers. Peeta looks down, and after a few moments he speaks to either save or end his life.

He says, "Okay."

**Gale:**

I remain emotionless.

Anything else would show weakness to Madge Undersee, and that's hardly what I want. She turns back to me, expecting some kind of reaction. I try not to give her one. Instead, I turn my head to the ground when they replay the moment more dramatically. I think of what just happened with this Mellark boy. _Traitor. Bastard. Liar._ He had Katniss blushing, giggling like an idiot, basically swooning over him, three things I never have done, and he has still betrayed her. _Calm down, Gale, _I tell myself over and over. _Wait for things to progress. He was only saving his own life._

"Gale," Madge says in barely a whisper. "I'm scared." Her eyes fill with tears, and seeing this make me want to cry, too. I hate crying girls, especially Madge. I stand tall and look directly at her, trying not to scowl.

"Me too," I say, returning my focus to the television, which is now on Katniss. She runs for a long time, falling a few times and stopping every minute to look around. _Water. That's was she's looking for. _I try to imagine being in Madge's position, and stop myself before I realize how painful it must be. Madge is Mayor Undersee's daughter. She almost _has_ to know everyone in District twelve. Every year, two of her friends are chosen to fight in the Hunger Games. Every year, two of Madge's friends die.

She and Katniss were very close. Madge was Katniss's only friend, aside from me. She was the only girlfriend Katniss had, which means something. Madge and Peeta talked sometimes at school, but mostly just passing each other in the halls and muttering a small, "Hi, how are you?"

Still, it must really hurt her.

I see Madge's face crumple in the corner of my eye and I hear her start sobbing, so I turn to her. Seeing her like this makes me actually recognize how beautiful she is. Without her eyes swelled red and face flushed, her cheeks are rosy and her eyes a sparkling brown. Her thick blonde hair is wavy and out of place, but always pretty and natural-looking.

Impulsively, I put my hand on her shoulder. She leans in to me and she somehow manages to gradually get my whole arm wrapped around her. I don't fight it, but it feels odd having a girl in my arms. Katniss never let me touch her. Once, I tried taking her hand, only to have it pulled away, followed by a harsh scowl.

Her scowl.

The one I might never see again in person. I glance at Madge, who is now studying the screen, where more deaths are happening. Katniss comes close to encountering some of her fellow tributes, but manages to barely avoid them. We stand like this for an hour, watching carefully as Katniss plants herself in a tree, after examining the items of the pack she'd picked up after almost being killed on the spot.

I only pray she finds water. And soon.


End file.
